Certain types of women's garments do not work well with a separate fitted brassiere (bra) undergarment. For example, when a regular brassiere is worn under a tank top, the shoulder straps of the tank top are typically too narrow to conceal the shoulder straps of the brassiere, creating an unsightly condition where the brassiere shoulder straps are visible.
Garments that include an internal brassiere in combination with an outer garment are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,538 to Johnson shows a women's soft fabric garment with integral brassiere.
Garments with a shelf bra built into the garment are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,440,174 to Cordova shows a tank top with a built in shelf bra formed by an elastic chest band coupled to the top edge or the tank top body by one or more fabric panels. The shelf bra and the tank top share a common pair of shoulder straps. However, the built in shelf bra by Cordova does not provide the support or shape as would be the case of a separate fitted brassiere.